Hello, Dolly! is just pure joy at the London Palladium, led by an effervescent Dame Imelda Staunton
“Look at the old girl now, fellas”
There’s often a place for clear-sighted objectivity in theatre reviewing but sometimes, it’s just all about the feelings. I can’t help but ever watch Hello, Dolly! through the warmest of gazes as it unfailingly brings to mind memories of childhood afternoons spent with my dear Aunty Mary, all hot buttered toast and blackberry picking and snuggling down on the sofa to watch classic movies such as this. But from the glorious 2009 Open Air Theatre production with Samantha Spiro to Janie Dee leading with aplomb at the Curve’s 2012 revival, chances to see this Jerry Herman classic have been few and far between.
Delayed from its intended 2020 opening by COVID-19, Dominic Cooke’s production finally rectifies this with a huge sense of joy pervading every inch of the Palladium. Imelda Staunton seizes the iconic character of Dolly Levi and delivers it in her own inimitable style, perhaps a touch less Broadway than Bette Midler (but who among us isn’t?!) but full of intimate character-led detail that reminds you just how fine an actress she is. From the comic masterclass of her rapid-fire dialogue to the emotion that almost overwhelms her as she descends the staircase for the title song, she is just extraordinary.
As we follow her widowed socialite trying to matchmake the majority of the state of New York, we’re reminded of the relatively forward-thinking nature of Michael Stewart’s book, adapted from Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, exploring romantic possibilities for multiple female characters d’un certain รขge. It makes such a refreshing change from the toxicity that plagues other ‘classics’ such as Kiss Me, Kate particularly as the casting of Jenna Russell and Harry Hepple as Irene and Cornelius means we’re watching him become swept off his feet by the charms of an older woman – something we rarely get to see onstage.
Rae Smith’s brightly conceived set and costume design wisely uses a fair amount of Finn Ross’ video work to do the heavy lifting, allowing set pieces for the ecstatic ‘Put On Your Sunday Clothes’ and ‘Before The Parade Passes By’ to stand out all the more. Bill Deamer’s choreographer similarly exudes the joyous feel of the promise of new life and love. Tyrone Huntley and Emily Lane are gorgeously good as the newly lovestruck Barnaby and Minnie and it’s a mark of the quality of the ensemble that as excellent performers as Jodie Jacobs and Emily Langham take up minor roles, yet still shine so brightly at their time.
I laughed with abandon. I cried with happiness. I remembered the joy of family love. I revelled in the embrace of something so familiar being lavished with exceptional care and excellence from this crack team of cast and creatives.
